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Research

OHSU is a major research university, including research related to obesity and bariatric surgery. There are several advantages for patients who undergo surgery in a program that includes world-class research, including assurance that the surgeons and all members of the surgical team are all highly advanced in their fields.

All members of the bariatric surgical team at OHSU participate in the national bariatric surgical research project of the National Institutes of Health known as LABS. This is the largest multicenter research study of bariatric surgery ever done in the United States and is resulting in multiple improvements to the care we and surgeons worldwide deliver. Multiple specific topics are included in the research, including specific operations, characteristics of patients who may undergo surgery, and the results of surgery.

For example, one aspect of the research is studying the detail of the response to surgery among patients with diabetes. Another aspect of this research studies the role of physical activity in determining the success and benefits of the surgery. OHSU surgeons are also involved in the development of new procedures for bariatric surgery. This includes the results of implanting devices into obese patients to accomplish weight loss using less invasive techniques. The opportunity to participate in this clinical research varies according to the recruitment status of patients to participate as needed.

Bariatric research

Research and training initiatives related to bariatric surgery at OHSU.